Best Friends
by Collie Parkillo
Summary: Larry Butz had had a lot of unlucky romances, but this really took the cake. [Phoenix/Larry] [High school AU]


Larry Butz had had a lot of unlucky romances, but this really took the cake.

It wasn't like when he'd flirted with Desireé Delite, the college student motorcyclist who he'd found out the hard way was married. It wasn't like when he'd fallen for his tutor, Mia Fey, in eighth grade, only to soon realize he had no chance with a girl four years his senior. And this wasn't even counting all the times he'd gotten turned down.

No, this was much, much worse.

This was someone he knew everything about. This was somebody he _could_ make laugh and who actually liked him.

Larry Butz had fallen for his best friend, Phoenix Wright.

Was he just jealous? Phoenix had gotten his first girlfriend last month and that was when Larry had suddenly realized how different it felt now that Phoenix wasn't…available.

It was just that Phoenix sat with her in math class instead of with him, and Dahlia sat at their lunch table and made conversation weird.

"Dollie really likes you!" Phoenix chimed as they walked home together. "She thinks you're funny."

"She's a good chick. I like her," Larry said. It was out of character for him to say anything flatly and vaguely like that, and he prayed that Phoenix didn't notice.

Larry felt as though he just hadn't noticed how he felt about Phoenix before those feelings had something in their way. He'd always looked at Phoenix's wide, blue eyes and thought his messy, spiky hair was cute. And of course they hugged and clapped each other on the back and shared a bed at sleepovers. They were_ friends_.

And that was exactly the problem.

"Our one month anniversary is coming up!"

"That's great! Are you gonna get her something?"

Phoenix grinned sheepishly. "Well, I don't really know. Got any ideas?"

Larry scratched his head. "I dunno. Girls like flowers. Maybe get her some flowers."

Phoenix looked exasperated. "But flowers die! I want something that lasts forever!"

"Dude, romance doesn't last forever either. I would know."

"When did you get to be such a cynic?"

As they approached Larry's house, Phoenix waved and they exchanged a friendly "See ya!" as they parted ways, despite Phoenix living right next door anyways.

Larry put down his backpack in the mudroom of his house, slumping against the wall. Phoenix was a guy. He was a guy. He didn't even know if Phoenix was into that! Larry had always liked girls better than guys, but Phoenix was _different._

"What's got you all down?" Larry looked up. It was his little sister, Carrie, with her frizzy brown hair and wide grin.

"Nothing, Car. Don't worry."

Carrie pouted. "C'mon! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Well," Larry said, sighing. "I've got another bad crush. But this one's the worst yet."

"Ooh, I know what could help!" Carrie clapped her hands. "C'mon up to my room! I've never gossiped with my big brother before!"

Was I like this as a sixth grader, Larry thought. But he put the thought aside and followers Carrie up the stairs. She flopped on big yellow beanbag, looking at him expectantly while he sat down on the bottom bunk of her bunk bed. "So. Tell me! Is she pretty like the tutor lady you liked?"

"You knew about that?!"

"Duh. It was obvious."

Larry let out another long sigh. "It's…different. I don't really want to talk about it. Look, you know I love talking to you, but like…"

"Is it your friend with the spiky hair who always beats you at Call of Duty?" Carrie smirked at him.

Larry jumped backwards. "Whoa! Wh-Whoa, okay, Carrie, you got me. It's…yeah, it's him." He waited for his sister to ask why it wasn't a girl. She didn't say anything. She just continued to smile at him like she knew something he didn't.

"He's cute," Carrie said. "I like him. I'm sure Mom would, too. He'd go over better than that model who was like twenty-three. She sure wasn't a pleasant dinner guest." Larry rolled his eyes. "But what do you like about him?"

"I…Well…Everything!" Now that Carrie had asked, the words just started coming out. "He always like, goes the extra mile for people, especially me, and he's just so passionate about the stuff he likes. Like he's always talking about being a lawyer and his face just lights up and he has this grin he does that's just adorable and I just-augh! I'm done for, Carrie! He has a girlfriend!"

Carrie looked at him like she was assessing his situation the way a therapist would. "Hmm. I think you should wait a little while. See if the feelings stay. See if they break up." She giggled. "For now, do you wanna listen to some Taylor Swift?"

Larry sighed for the fourth time today. "Sure, Carrie."

He spent the rest of the evening lying on Carrie's bed doing his homework while pondering how he'd ever thought Taylor Swift was a poor lyricist.

"Larry?"

"Yeah, Car?"

"I hope you marry him."

"Carrie!"

But nonetheless, he was glad he'd spoken to Carrie.

The next two days were a little less filled with suffering than the previous ones where he'd been dealing with the awful crush. And then, on the third day, the big news came.

Phoenix wasn't at school. He wouldn't answer the phone. So, after school, Larry rang the doorbell to Phoenix's house.

Phoenix's mom answered. "Oh, Larry, great to see you! Nick is sick, but if you'd like to see him, I'm sure he'd be fine with it."

"Yeah, I'm just dropping by to make sure he's doing okay. I brought him the homework for today, too."

"You're such a nice kid, Larry!" Ms. Wright laughed her big, booming laugh. "Come on up."

When Larry went into Phoenix's room, he wasn't even sure his friend was the same person. Phoenix was huddled under three blankets, with a surgical mask over his face and an ice pack on his forehead. "Phoenix, it's Larry. He brought homework."

"Thanks, Mom. Hi, Larry." Phoenix's sick voice sounded almost…too sick.

His mother shut the door, leaving the two boys alone. "Dude, Nick, you're not really sick. I can tell. You sound like you watched one of those how to fake sick YouTube tutorials."

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so I'm not sick. But how do you expect me to go to school after…after…" His eyes started watering.

"What happened?!" Larry's heart started beating. If it was what he thought it was, then…

"Dollie dumped me!" Phoenix said miserably, jolting up in bed and knocking off his ice pack. "She dumped me! She said I was un-romantic and irresponsible!"

"I've heard that one a lot," Larry said, sitting down next to him on the bed. "I get that all the time from chicks. It might be true for me but it sure as hell isn't for you. I'm sure she wasn't worth it anyways."

"But Larryyyyyy!" Phoenix wailed. "She was my everything! My first love! What am I gonna do?"

"Well, I always just try to do other stuff to distract myself. How's that sound? Do you wanna play Black Ops or something? I know you really like Law and Order, we could watch that. Or you could read To Kill a Mockingbird, favorite books are supposed to make you feel better."

"But To Kill a Mockingbird makes me cry because of how unjust it is!" Phoenix's lower lip was wobbling.

"Well, I mean, maybe that's good. N-not that you're crying, I mean, but that it's you thinking about something other than the breakup."

"I…I guess you're right. Do you want to watch Law and Order with me? I know you don't really like it so you don't have to stay or anything."

"Dude, you oughta treat yourself right now, if you like it I'll watch it with you."

So Larry sat in bed with Phoenix and they watched as multiple lawyers in the firm got killed in one episode and Phoenix ranted about how that was in no way a proper representation of being a criminal lawyer and it would probably scare little kids who dreamed of becoming lawyers.

And when Larry told Carrie that Phoenix and Dahlia had broken up, she fist-bumped him. "I…I feel bad for being happy that he's not with her anymore and he's so unhappy, 'cause like I've been there and it's not fun, but I guess all I can do is try to help him."

"That's the spirit! And you've totally got an opportunity to get with him coming up soon." She winked.

Phoenix was at school the next day, and soon things were beginning to feel like they were back to normal. Dahlia avoided Phoenix's eyes, and Larry patted him on the back and told him to just ignore her. Word on the street was that she was already dating Doug Swallow, some college guy, within two days of breaking up with Phoenix.

"Do you still like her?" Larry asked at lunch.

"I don't know," Phoenix said, head in his hands. "I don't think so. I mean, I can't just turn off the feelings, but…I don't know, there's something else that's been bothering me for awhile, even when I was with Dahlia. I'm just confused, you know? Feelings kinda suck."

Believe me, I know, Larry wanted to say. I know exactly what you're describing and all I want to say right now is that I love you and if that Dahlia hurt you she'll have hell to pay from your best friend.

The time came when Phoenix and Larry were sitting together in Larry's mom's car. He was still technically a student driver, but nobody in their tiny California town would pay attention if a few laws were casually broken.

The sun was setting outside the window of the tiny Honda, and Phoenix was staring out it at the highway nearby. "You know, Larry, I'm kinda glad I'm not with Dollie anymore. I think…I don't know, she was important to me but I think she hurt me more than she helped me."

"I'm psyched that you're happy now, though," Larry responded.

"Me too. But…there are still a lot of unresolved things. I mean, we're juniors, Larry, we're supposed to be figuring things out but I feel like I just started learning what I need to change."

"Me too."

They sat in silence for a little bit, and Larry's heart felt like it was going to burst out of his throat. He remembered what Carrie had said. There would be a chance soon. Was this his chance?

"Nick?"

"Yeah, Larry?"

"Well…there's, uh, something I kinda wanted to talk to you about." When he saw Phoenix's face fall he immediately added, "No! Nothing bad! Nothing bad at all! I just wanna talk about it."

"…Okay."

"And I…I don't really have the words, but…You know I'm not good with romantic words right, Nick-Oh, god, I said romantic there, didn't I? I spilled the beans right there, jeez, this isn't really going the way I wanted it to… Larry was speaking so fast he wasn't sure Phoenix could even understand him. His expression was more curious than confused.

"Larry, I…"

"You what?"

"I'm not good with romance either." He laughed. "We're good together 'cause neither of us are good with that kind of stuff."

"D-do you…"

Phoenix leaned over from his seat in shotgun, his face red. "I…We've always been…I don't know, Larry! I just don't know!"

Larry's hands were shaking. "I don't know either! But I do know is that I've known you since I was like eight and I've always…we've always…I…"

"You…?"

"I love you! Like, not in a bro way! I mean, yes, in a bro way, but also in the other way! Phoenix, I love you so so much and I've always failed in having crushes but please, please let this one succeed!"

"Larry, I…Are you scared, Larry? Were you afraid I wasn't gonna accept that you liked me that way?" Larry looked at him, tenser than ever. "Larry, I'm bisexual! I can't believe I kept that from you, because I always thought you'd think it was weird, but…I…I think I could feel the same way about you?"

Larry's face was scarlet and he looked down. "I'm sorry for not trusting you. I dunno what I am. I dunno if I like boys or girls or both or everything. I just know I like you." There had been few words between them, only the stunned look on Phoenix's face, then the smile, then they were both laughing and before they knew it they were kissing.

It was neither of their first kisses, but it had more meaning than any of the ones they'd had before.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm a diehard PE guy, but this has been in my head for awhile. Rarepairs for life. **


End file.
